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Delays continue to beset a proposed bilateral security agreement between the U.S. and Afghanistan. The pact would govern U.S. troops if they remain in Afghanistan past 2014. Deadlines have come and gone, but still no agreement has been signed by the two parties. Now, the situation seems to have deepened into a political standoff between the Pentagon and Afghan President Hamid Karzai. To understand how it got to this point, Robert Siegel turns to Sean Carberry, reporting from Kabul, and Tom Bowman, NPR's Pentagon correspondent.

North Dakota's booming economy has created a modern-day wagon trail of people coming to the state for oil jobs. But finding affordable housing is a sometimes insurmountable challenge, and the number of homeless people, has risen dramatically. Meg Luther Lindholm reports that even cities like Fargo-Moorhead, where there are several shelters and services, are often stretched beyond their capacity. Some, like Fargo's mayor, say the cities can't do it all and more help is needed from the state.

In a program from 1987, Hancock solos on "Dolphin Dance" and then improvises with Marian McPartland.

The world of central banking is largely a man's world. But Janet Yellen, the Federal Reserve's new leader, has been undeterred by such barriers since she was in high school in Brooklyn. Now global financial markets will be watching her every move.

During his 10-year career, Sean Morey absorbed countless hits, more than a few of which resulted in concussions. "Every time I hit somebody it was like getting tasered," he says. Now, he suffers from lingering conditions, like debilitating headaches, and is an advocate for players' health.

Egyptian Field Marshal Abdel Fattah al-Sisi rose to power swiftly after the Arab Spring ouster of former President Hosni Mubarak. Al-Sisi, who is the head of Egypt's military, appears to be next in line for the presidency. Middle East expert Samer Shehata tells NPR's Scott Simon that Egyptians find another military leader reassuring, but his election wouldn't bode well for democracy.

Renee Fleming will sing the national anthem at the Super Bowl on Sunday in New Jersey. She is the first opera star to be asked. NPR's Scott Simon remembers how Fleming has performed under pressure many times, including when she sang "Amazing Grace" at the ruins of the World Trade Center after 9/11.

More than a week of negotiations in Geneva failed to produce a breakthrough. The two sides may meet again soon, but there's no sign they are capable of establishing a transitional government.

This weekend is all about Sunday's Super Bowl matchup between the Denver Broncos and the Seattle Seahawks. NPR's Tom Goldman joins Scott Simon to talk about the history of the game, and the one key factoid that predicts Sunday's winner that no one has mentioned yet.

Patrick Murray, the director of the Monmouth University Polling Institute, tells Weekend Edition Saturday that the latest allegations up the ante on the deepening scandal.